Rep. Fleming Is Unsure of Immigration Reform Bill’s Future

Congressman John Fleming doesn't think there will be an immigration reform proposal getting passed any time soon and also foresees bright futures for the state politicians who defected the Democratic Party and joined the Republicans.

The Minden congressman told KEEL Morning News he is pretty sure the new Republicans will be seeking higher office.

"There's this narrative coming out of the last election saying that the way for republicans to win more elections is to pander to the various interest groups, minority groups as the Democrats do," stated Fleming. "I believe Republicans, and conservatives in particular, should stand by their principles. But what we I think are going to be successful at is reaching out to the minority communities."

That's what these new members to the Louisiana Republican Party would do. A prime example is State Senator Elbert Guillory, who is now the only African-American Republican state senator in Louisiana. After his switch to the GOP, he became a viral sensation through a video where he explained why he switched parties.

"We put them on the fast track in elections. And that applies to Hispanics, women. I think that in the coming years, in the next two, three, four election cycles, you are going to see a lot more very conservative Americans who are African-American, female, Hispanic and Asian."

"What do we want? We want border security and internal security first," explained Fleming to KEEL Morning News. "Forty-percent of people here illegally is because of overstays on their visas. That's easy to fix technologically."

Fleming isn't confident a deal will be made between Republicans in the House and Democrats in the Senate on comprehensive reform.

"I don't see that happening because what worked through the Senate, even with some Republican support, was a travesty."

Fleming calls the Senate version of the reform a mess, with tons of pages that many likely won't read.

"It was for immigration what Obamacare is for healthcare. An extremely complex bill that leaves it to the president to pick and choose what parts he wants to enforce and implement."

So why doesn't the House just send the Senate what it wants? Fleming said it's because of how the House will get the bill back.

"What we fear is we send something from the House and it might be good, but when it gets to the Senate, the old bill could be jammed into it, sent back to us, and a lot of pressure applied to us. Keep in mind, the big business really wants this passed."